3 Ways to Get What You Want From Your Pharmacy Tech Support

I have a theory that technology in my personal life has it out for me. It never seems to work the way I want it to or think it should. Of course the minute I convince someone to help me fix it, the problem seems to magically disappear.  

Technology is supposed to make life easier. But sometimes it doesn’t always feel that way.  When something that should be simple becomes needlessly difficult, it’s hard to get past the frustration and move forward. This is especially true when it comes to technology that you use in your pharmacy business.  You can’t really afford for it to be anything but crazy-easy.  

Here’s the thing about problems with technology. There are certainly times when difficulties are caused by something that’s broken. But there are also plenty of instances where the difference between getting what you want and hitting your head against the proverbial brick wall is simply a matter of perspective. Here are three simple changes that can make the difference between frustration and satisfaction.  

1. Focus on goals instead of fixes.

It’s easy to look at a problem and say that you need something specific done to fix the issue. It seems to be the straightest line and the fastest way to get where you want to go. But oftentimes these type of quick fixes can lead to a patchwork of band aids that may eventually result in a bigger failure and a solution that just doesn’t work at all. The best thing to do is talk with your technology providers about what it is that you’re trying to accomplish. What information are you trying to obtain? What process are you trying to streamline? They may just have a unique way to get you what you want or be able to advise on the best way to get you to your goal.  

2. Overcommunicate.

When it comes to working with vendors to get exactly what you want out of systems in your pharmacy, there’s really no such thing as too much information. Any little piece of information might be the key to solving a problem in your pharmacy.  

3. Run away from the box.

Regardless of the expertise of your pharmacy technology providers, sometimes expectations and reality can be very different. But as we posted last month, different does not necessarily mean bad. So remember to take a step back from your comfort zone and figure out if you’re really dissatisfied with the way something is or just adjusting to something that’s different than you had envisioned.  

The systems and software in your pharmacy should be built to meet the needs of your pharmacy business. Even so, every pharmacy is unique and sometimes it takes a little “out of the box” thinking to get you where you need to go. At RMS, we choose looking for new and different solutions over having a frustrated dissatisfied customer any day.